Welcome to the second volume of the Coughing Bison Mix Tape Collection. If you haven’t sampled the songs of volume one, “I Just Wanna Pump… You Up,” you can listen to them by clicking here.

Today’s mix tape takes us back to my days at Upper Iowa University from 1997-2001. The soundtrack for that era was a strange blend of country, rock, and hip hop on the first floor of Garbee South. Here are the songs that remind me of the good ol’ days in Fayette, Iowa. These are “The Songs of Fayette-Nam.”

“Piano Man” by Billy Joel
An often-requested UIU favorite at the bars. I remember all of us getting together in a circle, putting our arms around one another, and swaying back and forth as we sang along. I can still smell everyone’s beer sweat.

“Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba
When the DJ played this song at the bars, we jumped up and down during the chorus. Some of my taller friends may or may not have rammed their heads into ceiling tiles, overhead lights, etc.

“Gone Away” by The Offspring

“Rosa Parks” by Outkast
The football players at the other end of the hall played this non-stop my sophomore year, and I was hooked. I went to the K-Mart in Oelwein to buy the CD, but erroneously bought Jay Z’s CD instead. True story.

“Sullivan” by Caroline’s Spine
You could hear this on Rock 108 every day because A) it honors the Sullivan Brothers, who, like Rock 108, hailed from Waterloo, IA, and B) it’s a mighty fine song.

“Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks
Do you know the mysterious third verse?

“Hooch” by Everything
Let’s just say the word “hooch” played a humorous role in one monumental event during my college years.

“Something Like That” by Tim McGraw

“Steal My Sunshine” by LEN
Somewhere in a crowded junkyard, my friend’s Pontiac still has this disc mistakenly wedged above the stereo. If you’ve ever heard the rest of the album, you understand why this wasn’t too big of a tragedy.

“Scar Tissue” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
I bought the RHCP’s “Californication” CD dirt cheap at the Music Station in Cedar Falls, then proceeded to play this song every single time I hopped in my 1989 Ford Escort (AKA The Silver Streak).

“I Wish” by Skee-Lo
This was my entrance theme for the Mr. UIU competition my junior and senior years (*hint hint* it’s because I’m short).

“Walkin’ on the Sun” by Smash Mouth

“Jose Cuervo” by Shelly West
This one’s for my friend Nicole!

“My Own Worst Enemy” by Lit

“What’s My Name?” by Snoop Dogg
This one’s for my buddy Elsbernd, the whitest white guy to ever like this song.

“Miami” by Will Smith

“Inside Out” by Eve 6

“How Do You Like Me Now?!” by Toby Keith
Ever heard this song 20 times in one day? I have.

“Closing Time” by Semisonic
It’s only fitting to close this list with the song that closed the bars on many a night in northeast Iowa. Remember, every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.